Collapsible seat



2Sheets -Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, l955 ATTORNEY Aug. 21, 1956 H. J.MYRICK, JR

COLLAPSIBLE SEAT Filed Nov. 18, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR UnitedStates Patent COLLAPSELE SEAT Harvey If. Myrick, Jrz, Columbus, Miss.Application November 18, 1953, Serial No. 392,847 2 Claims. (Cl.155-133) My invention relates broadly to seats and more particularly toa portable collapsible seat which may be readily carried in a compactfolded position and unfolded to provide an individual seat, garmentprotective means and backrest.

This application is a continuation-in-part of myapplication Serial No.254,303, filed November 1, 1951, for Collapsible Seat, now abandoned.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of collapsible seat formed from relatively inexpensivefoldable material which may be carried in folded position in a compactpackage and unfolded to provide a protective seat, garment protectivemeans and backrest for use at athletic events, circuses, carnivals,fairs and public gatherings generally.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction ofcollapsible seat which may be readily formed on a mass production scaleat low cost from reenforce-d paper board which is scored alongprefoldable seams which readily permit the unfolding of the device intoa seat, garment protective means and backrest while providingsubstantial multiple-layered cushion effect beneath the seat.

Another object of my invention is to provide a collapsible seat formedfrom relatively inexpensive flat sheet material scored for folding intoa seat portion with a garment protective portion and a backrest, whereinthe upper portion of the backrest includes a handle means disposedtherein and adapted to coact with handle means formed in the garmentprotective portion whereby the device, whenfolded, may be readilytransported.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an arrangement ofcarrying and fastening means for-the foldable portion of a collapsibleseat consisting of handle means formed in the upper portion of thebackrest of the seat and coacting handle means formed in a garmentprotective portion coextensive with the seat of the device, the saidhandle means interlocking to facilitate carrying of the device in foldedposition.

Other and further objects of my invention reside in the arrangement ofinterlocking parts forming aacarrying handle for a foldable seat as setforth more fully in the specification hereinafter following by referenceto the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the portable collapsible seat of myinvention shown in folded position and illustrating the handle means forfacilitating transport-ation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the collapsible seat shown in unfoldedposition ready for use and illustratingthe front vertical apron whichconnects with the seat portion of the device and which serves as aprotective means for the garments of the user of the seat, the view alsoillustrating the coacting handle means formed in the apron and in theupper portion of the backrest;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the seat when in use as acover for a conventional stadium seat;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the flat blank from which the seat of myinvention is formed;

2,759,527 Patented Aug. 21, 1956 on line '77 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the handle means in the upperportion of the backrest and the handle means in the protective apron injuxtaposition ready to be interlocked;

.Fig. 9 shows the handle means in the backrest and the handle means inthe protective apron folded into interlocking relation;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view through the interlocking partsforming the handle means taken substantially on line 10-19 of Fig. 9 andillustrating one of the interlocking lugs in end elevation;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 1111 of Fig. 9 andshowing one of the interlocking lugs in vertical section, theinterlocking lugs maintaining the handle means in coacting interlockedrelation for purposes of carrying;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a modified form of collapsible seatembodying my invention;

Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken on line l3l3 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing the seat of Figs. 12 and 13expanded to open position and illustrating particularly the protectivevertical apron and the handle .means therein.

My invention is directed to a construction of reenforced cardboardcollapsible seat which may be die-pressed and scored on a massproduction scale. The reenforced cardboard seats thus prepared may beshipped in bulk in a single thickness enabling many hundreds of thepreformed seas to be shipped in a relatively small package, thusminimizing transportation costs and rendering the shipment convenientfor handling. Upon delivery the scored reenforced cardboard sheetsareready for immediate individual packaging by folding of portions of theblank along the scored lines, the portions of the seat being capable ofbeing conveniently fastened together or interlocked in compactindividual carrying position. The blank from which the collapsible seatof my invention is formed is scored along a pair of spaced verticallyextending lines dividing the blank into a vertically extending centralportion and a pair of side portions. The central portion of the blank isprovided with transversely extending scorings, one of which divides theblank into a backrest and a seat and the other of which is disposedadjacent the front of the seat and divides the seat into a frontvertical apron and a horizontal bottom portion. The substantiallycentrally transverse scoring is formed by a pair of closely adjacentparallel extending sco-rings to accommodate the thickness of thematerial of the seat when folded. The side portions of the blank areornamentally curved at their edges and are provided with angularlyextending scorings to facilitate the folding and the unfolding of thedevice and the securing of multiple folds beneath the horizontal bottomportion. The superimposed layers provide a cushioning for the seat andserve to protect the user against the seepage or infiltration ofmoisture through the several laminations.

The protective apron and the upper portion of the backrest when alignedcoact to form a handle for readily carrying the device in collapsedposition.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character '1 designatesthe preformed blank which is die-cut "tothe shape shown in Fig. 4 andscored "along a pair of spaced vertically extending lines 2 and 3dividing the sheet into a central portion 4 and a pair of side portions5 and 6. The side portions 5 and 6 are ornamentally curved along theirperipheries as indicated at 5a and 6a. The blank is transversely scoredalong lines 7, 3 and 9. The transverse scorings '7 and 8 are closelyadjacent each other and accommodate the thickness of the sheet materialwhen folded and serve to divide the blank into a backrest 10 and a seat11. The transverse scoring 9 divides the seat into a front verticalapron 12 and a horizontal bottom portion 14.

The lowermost portions of the sides 5 and 6 are provided with diagonallyextending scorings 5b and 6b which enable the side portions 5 and 6 tobe folded upon themselves and then folded around the vertical scorings 2and 3 to a position beneath the bottom portion 14 as repre sented moreclearly in Figs. 6 and 7. When thus folded the horizontal bottom portion14 is protected in the supporting surface at least by two thicknesses ofthe material comprising the seat so that a multiple lamination is formedconsisting of at least three thicknesses of sheet material in thehorizontal bottom portion as represented at 14, 14a and 14b in Figs. 6and 7. This laminated arrangement is maintained by means of staples 17and 13 which extend through the horizontal bottom portion 14 and thefolded portions 14a and 14b coextensive therewith. The side portions 5and 6 which are folded beneath the bottom portion 14 overlap each otheras represented at 55 and db in Fig. 1, thereby increasing the cushioningelfect to live plys at the forward central portion of the seat. Theupper portion of the backrest 10 is centrally die-cut as represented at19, forming a hinged tongue 20 having a pair of upstanding lugs 21 and22 at opposite ends thereof and leaving a corresponding set of alignedapertures in the backrest 1d at 23 and 24 as shown more particularly inFigs. 2 and 8. When the bottom portion is folded into position againstbackrest 19 as illustrated in Fig. 5 the tongue 29 is projected throughan aligned aperture represented at 25 formed in the apron 12. Theaperture 25 is provided with a pair of inwardly projecting end portions26 and 217 alignable with the lugs 21 and 22, respectively, and formingan interlock therebetween as represented more clearly in Figs. 1, 5, 9,10 and 11, thereby maintaining the backrest 1t) and seat 11, and theapron 12, in interlocked relation to facilitate carrying. In other wordsthe tongue 20 is hinged through a pair of folds 20a and 20b, to thebackrest it), so that the tongue 26 may be passed through the aperture25 in the front apron 12 when the front apron 12 is moved into positionadjacent the upper portion of backrest it After the tongue 21) has beenpassed through aperture 25 the lugs 21 and 22 interlock behind theprojections 26 and 27 maintaining the seat in folded carrying position.

When the seat is to be opened and placed in use it is only necessary topush the tongue 20 out of interlocking engagement and through theaperture 25 in front apron 12 whereupon the seat is readily unfoldablealong angularly extending scorings 5b and 6b in the sides 5 and 6 andthe seat placed in use.

Figs. 12-14 show a modified form of my invention wherein the upperportion of the backrest it and the foldable vertical front apron 12 areboth provided with apertures shown at 31) and 31, respectively. Theseapertures are formed by spaced parallel extending edges connected attheir ends by curved portions forming a slot through which the fingersmay be extended. The apertures are elongated with their longitudinalaxes extending substantially parallel with the transversely extendingsubstantially central scoring. When the seat is collapsed to carryingposition, as represented in Fig. 13, the apertures 39 and 31 aretransversely aligned and constitute a double handle for supporting andcarrying the seat. in this form of my invention there is no interlockbetween the handle means as provided in the form of my inventionillustrated in Figs. 1-11 and the parts of the seat are maintained incollapsed position by their normal tendency to remain in folded positionand by the fingers of the hand which are passed through the alignedslots while the seat is being carried.

The seat of my invention is highly practical as a cover for conventionalstadium seats as indicated at 28 in Fig. 3. Inasmuch as the frontvertical apron 12 extends over the front edge of the stadium seat 28this serves as a protector for the garments of the user preventing therubbing of coats, trousers, skirts, hose, etc. against the roughpossibly splintering front edge of the stadium seat indicated at 28.

While I have described my invention in certain of its preferredembodiments, I realize that modifications may be made and I desire thatit be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intendedother than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is as follows:

1. A foldable seat formed from fiat sheet material having preformedscorings thereon including a pair of spaced substantially longitudinallyextending scorings and a pair of transversely extending scorings one ofwhich is disposed substantially central and divides said sheet into abackrest and a seat, and the other of which is disposed adjacent thefront of said seat and divides said seat into a front vertical apron anda horizontal bottom portion, said apron being movable downwardly into aplane substantially normal to the plane of said horizontal bottomportion to form a front clothes shield along the front edge of thehorizontal bottom portion of said seat, said longitudinally extendingscorings also defining side portions coextensive with said backrest andseat, the side portions below said transversely extending substantiallycentral scoring having diagonally disposed scorings therein extendingfrom the junctions of said substantially central scoring and saidsubstantially longitudinally extending scorings whereby the said sideportions are foldabl along said diagonal scorings and around thelongitudinally extending scorings to a position beneath the seat in aplane substantially normal to the plane of said backrest for forming amultiple ply bottom structure for said seat and a rear abutment for saidapron when said apron is folded downwardly in a plane substantiallynormal to the plane of the bottom portion of said seat, handle meansdisposed in the upper portion of said backrest and coacting handle meansformed in said front vertical apron, both of said handle means beingtransversely alignable with each other when the plane of said frontvertical apron is flattened against the surface of the top of saidbackrest for forming a carrying handle with said backrest and seatfolded about said transversely extending substantially central scoringin a position for transportation.

2. A foldable seat as set forth in claim 1 in which said diagonallydisposed scorings in said side portions diverge symmetrically outwardlyfrom opposite ends of said substantially central transverse scoring inthe direction of the other of said transverse scorings and wherein theside portions when folded beneath said horizontal bottom portion overlapat the adjacent ends thereof with the front edges thereof disposed inlineal alignment, and means for fastening the overlapping ends of saidside portions through said horizontal bottom portion.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,134,341 McKendrick Apr. 6, 1915 1,140,997 Minehart May 25, 19151,410,404 Haines Mar. 21, 1922 1,649,976 Pomeranz Nov. 22, 19271,756,182 Drane Apr. 29, 1930 1,831,428 Sherman Nov. 10, 1931 1,991,165Luckett Feb. 12, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 789,019 France Oct. 22, 1935

